Remix or Rip Off

Ever listen to a song and think it sounds very familiar? Sometimes it is bass lines, lyrics, or melodies that make us feel like we have heard a song before, despite knowing we have never listened to it. This is becoming more common with modern technology nowadays. In this post, we will dive into the example of this in “Good Times” by Chic and “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang. Photo by Technodean2000. An example of this is the bass line in “Good Times” by Chic, which is copied to create “Rapper’s Delight” by The SugarHill Gang. Although The Sugarhill Gang did not use the exact recording since they played it live, “Rapper’s Delight” copied the pitch, rhythm, and harmony of the “Good Times” bass line. This makes the bass line nearly identical despite not being directly copied. The Sugarhill Gang transformed the original song by performing it live, changing the structure of the song, and using an alternative style of music. The Sugarhill Gang raps instead of singing over the bass...